


4 Things That Didn't Happen In A Hotel Room, And One That Did

by boomingvoice



Series: nick366 [6]
Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-13
Updated: 2008-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomingvoice/pseuds/boomingvoice
Summary: Kevin doesn't leave. (He does, though.)(alternate title: 195)
Relationships: Nick Carter/Kevin Richardson
Series: nick366 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899274
Comments: 1





	4 Things That Didn't Happen In A Hotel Room, And One That Did

**Author's Note:**

> for [jammin' july](http://trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com/tag/jammin%27+july)!

1.

He shifted a moment, uncomfortably. Maybe he shouldn't have come.

"Come in, dude."

Well, too late now, he thought, and pushed open the door. "Hey."

"Hey." Nick was folding clothes.

Kevin came in and leaned against the closed door. Nick didn't usually fold clothes.

He watched in silence. A few minutes passed; Nick struggled momentarily with a shirt collar. A few more minutes. Kevin found it hard to breathe.

"So." He swallowed. "So, things are cool, right?"

"Yeah, man, I get it."

"Okay. That’s good." He straightened, about to say--he didn't know what. He leaned back on the door.

Nick started on the socks, frowning slightly as he searched for matching pairs. Kevin went and picked up one that had fallen off the bed, out of Nick's line of sight.

"Aha, thanks. I was looking for that." Nick smiled quickly. Kevin smiled back, and paused, for a moment, before helping.

Nick balled up his last pair. He added it to the pile, and went to get his suitcase from the closet.

Kevin wiped at his right eye with the heel of his palm. He sniffed, quietly, and then started when a pair of arms came round behind him, holding him a moment. "Why so sad?" Nick whispered.

"Oh," Kevin couldn't decide whether to smile or cry at how his voice wavered. "You know." He loosened Nick's arms enough for Nick to let go, and turned around to hug him. _I'll miss you_ , he tried to say, but couldn't. _I love you_. "You got that suitcase out pretty fast."

"Mmm. I didn't. It's stuck."

"In the closet?"

"Yeah."

"How did you manage that?"

"Idunno. It's not my fault, I didn't do it, I just checked and it's wedged there."

Kevin snorted. "I suppose now I get it out?"

"Well, since you offered..." Nick grinned.

Kevin rolled his eyes and looked into the closet. Stepped back. "Fuck, look at that. What possessed you to jam it in the closet when it doesn't fit?"

Nick mumbled something.

"You _what_?"

"I didn't want to trip on it playing DDR! Sorry! Jesus."

Kevin looked at Nick a moment, and took his hand. "I'm going to miss this dumb shit so much."

Nick's mouth twitched into a smile. "It doesn't feel like the end at all."

"Doesn't it?" Kevin was surprised. "I can't stop thinking how it is."

Nick was quiet a moment. He sighed, squeezed Kevin's hand, and moved away. "I should put my shit away."

Kevin looked at the suitcase a moment. "Alright, here, you pull this end up as best you can and I'm gonna shove."

"Okay."

Nick pulled and Kevin shoved, and the force when the suitcase finally gave knocked Kevin over.

" _Fuck_ \--"

"You okay?" Nick was knelt by his side, concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Kevin grunted. Looked himself over. "Yeah, all I've got is this cut here," he gestured to the heel of his palm, "and rugburn," he snorted.

"I think the suitcase hit you here, too," Nick said quietly, touching a spot on Kevin's temple. "You're bleeding."

Kevin looked at the blood on Nick's finger. "I guess I should wash that."

Nick followed him on his way to the bathroom. "Sorry."

"Don't fucking shove shit where it doesn't fit, then." Kevin examined his cut.

Nick ignored him, and stared at his forehead in the mirror. "Let me fix that," he said.

Kevin gave him an incredulous look.

"No, come on, let me." Nick reached for the washcloth, pushed Kevin to the side a bit, and wet it under the tap. He grabbed Kevin by one shoulder, and turned him to face Nick. He touched the wet cloth tentatively to Kevin's forehead, biting his lip in concentration.

Kevin stared at him. Nick's eyes were fixed on Kevin's forehead, and his lips were impossibly pink. Kevin looked elsewhere.

"What are you thinking about?" Nick asked, eyes still fixed on his forehead.

"Kristin," Kevin lied.

There was silence. "Oh," Nick said.

Nick wasn't looking at Kevin's forehead anymore. Kevin didn't meet his eyes.

"Fuck," Nick said, and kissed him.

Kevin, god help him, kissed back. His hands rested lightly on Nick's waist, and Nick wrapped his arms around Kevin's neck. The kiss gentled, finding its rhythm, coasting to its end. Nick leaned back and sighed, lightly, against Kevin's lips, a soft exhale of breath.

"What are you thinking about?" Nick asked. Kevin thought of blonde hair and bright eyes.

"Kristin," Kevin said.

"Oh," said Nick.

"I should go," Kevin said.

2.

"Can I use your belt?"

"Where's yours?"

"I forgot to pack one."

Nick gave him a look. " _Really_." He left off tousling his hair in the mirror and headed for his suitcase to pull out a belt. "I just want you take very careful notice," he said, "of how I'm _not_ lecturing you on responsibility and double-checking bags and making sure you have all you could possibly need before you get on the plane." He walked up to Kevin and set one hand on Kevin's hip while the other threaded the leather through the first beltloop. Kevin leaned into the touch. "And," Nick reached around, pulling the end of the belt through the back loops while gently pressing against Kevin's chest and resting his rough cheek on Kevin's, "I hope you _remember_ this," he breathed in Kevin's ear, "next time I ask you for something _I_ forgot." He turned his head and gave Kevin's ear a nip. Kevin tried to return the favor.

Nick jumped back and took hold of Kevin's wrists. " _No_. No! None of that, or I won't finish your belt," he said, holding Kevin at arm's length.

Kevin laughed. "C'mere." He pulled his wrists free and pulled Nick in and kissed his mouth once. "I think zebra-striped belts are a fashion faux-pas." He kissed him again. And once more. "Did you steal that from AJ or something?"

"No, man. Your cousin. I'm totally telling Brian you called it ugly, too."

"You wouldn't do that!" Kevin tightened his grip. "What you trying to do, get me kicked out of the group?"

Nick kissed him. "Never."

3.

"Would you look at it? It's beautiful."

"I know," Nick grinned, and lay back on the hotel bed, and stared. "Oh, wow. Come here, look at how the light shines."

Kevin settled back comfortably next to him. He laughed. "It looks like it has a halo."

Nick grinned at that. "Closest I'll get to anything heavenly." He paused. "It's fucking beautiful, though."

"Yeah." They lay there in silence, taking in the glow. Then, softly, Kevin said, "I can't believe it took so long." He paused. "I can't believe it happened at all. It's been so _long_. The five of us, together, against everything. Us, with the fans, I thought..." He fell silent. "It doesn't really mean anything, though, I guess. I shouldn't really be so proud. But it's like looking at the embodiment of the—of our hearts. It's made of our blood and muscle, you know? I bet if you cut it, it would bleed." He stilled when Nick took his hand and squeezed.

"Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." He paused. "I get it, but shut up."

Kevin smiled, and squeezed back.

"Also, dude, how are we supposed to share the one award between the five of us?"

4.

Kevin sat down on the edge of the bed, and took a sip from his beer. "So," he said awkwardly, and Nick looked up from his Mac.

"Did you find a belt, then?" he asked. "Because after you left I remembered I had one in the outer pocket of my suitcase, if you wanna go look."

"Oh, no, I'm good. I got something from Brian."

"Okay," Nick shrugged, and his eyes flicked back to his computer, fingers drumming on his thigh.

"Um," Kevin tried again, "I wanted to say. That thing I talked to you guys about last week?"

Nick stilled. "Yeah?" he said non-commitally.

"I think - I mean, I know." Kevin stopped, and sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm doing it."

Nick hadn't looked up from the laptop, but his jaw was tense. "So why don't you just straight up say it."

"What?"

"'I'm leaving the Backstreet Boys', not this 'it' bullshit."

Kevin was silent for a bit. "I did say that," he said, finally. "Last week. You all took it pretty well."

"We didn't fucking believe it when you said it." Nick's keyboard clicked loudly in the room.

"Well, believe it, then," Kevin answered shortly.

Nick looked at him. "Fuck you," he said.

Kevin held his gaze.

"Fuck. You." Nick repeated. He looked back at his computer. Kevin could see his hand shake when he moved the mouse.

"Nick," Kevin started, but was interrupted.

"No, seriously, Kev, fuck you." Nick stood up. "I don't fucking want to hear it." He got up, shutting the lid of his laptop, and walked to the window. "I don't - I can't - " Nick cut himself off. Then, "I don't understand, that's all."

Kevin walked over to him, and looked out to the night sky. "Sometimes I don't either," Kevin admitted. "But I have to." His hand brushed Nick's, and Nick turned to him, catching hold of it.

"I've spent all of my adult life in the Backstreet Boys," Nick said.

"I know," Kevin said.

Nick lifted Kevin's hand to his mouth, and kissed it, once. "Please stay," Nick said. Kevin paused.

* * *

one.

He shifted a moment, uncomfortably. Maybe he shouldn't have come.

"Come in, dude."

Well, too late now, he thought, and pushed open the hotel door. "Hey."

"Hey." Nick was folding clothes.

Kevin came in and leaned against the closed door. Nick didn't usually fold clothes.

He watched in silence. A few minutes passed; Nick struggled momentarily with a shirt collar. A few more minutes. Kevin was finding it hard to breathe.

"So." He swallowed. "So, things are cool, right?"

"Yeah, man, I get it. I mean, we already told you, it's cool. You do what you gotta do, whatever. It's cool. Everything's cool."

"Okay, so. It's cool. Good." He straightened, about to say--he didn't know what. He leaned back on the door.

Nick balled up his last pair of socks. He added it to the pile, and went to get his suitcase from the closet.

Kevin wiped at his right eye with the heel of his palm.

Nick accidentally hit his toe with a sharp plastic corner and swore.

"You know I love you," Kevin blurted out.

Nick paused, then continued to carry the suitcase to his bed. "I know, man. I love you too." He began to place clothes in the suitcase.

"Okay." Kevin watched a few more minutes. "Good." He left.


End file.
